Deer Left With Arrows Through Its Neck, Face Spark Police Investigation

Officials in southwestern Oregon discovered a pair of live deer impaled by arrows, sparking a police investigation to arrest whoever is responsible for maiming the animals.

Troopers from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) on Friday went to the Shady Cove area in Jackson County, in response to reports of two deer still alive with arrows protruding out of their bodies but were initially unable to locate the deer.

"A trooper responded later that evening and found not one, but two deer that had arrows protruding from them. The injuries to the deer did not appear to be life-threatening," Oregon State Police said in a statement Saturday, according to the Oregonian.

Police released photos of the deer which showed one with an arrow almost entirely through its neck and another with an arrow piercing through its face. Investigators suspect there is a third deer in similar circumstances and they hoped to find, tranquilize and remove the objects from the animals.

State officials and Oregon State Police have not yet identified a suspect in the case and are offering a $2,000 reward for information that could lead to an arrest.

The state’s Turn in Poachers program pays for leads in cases involving "illegal possession, killing, taking and/or waste."

Deer are considered fair game in Oregon during certain seasons, with the use of a sanctioned weapon. Those shooting deer must use a compound bow weighing between 40 and 50 pounds with special hunting arrows, the ODFW's website stated.

However, in this instance, the animals were shot with arrows not approved for hunting, Oregon State Police Sgt. Kaito Raiser told the New York Post.

"These arrows are not hunting-style arrows, and they’re really intended to act like a gunshot to travel through the animal and create the most damage possible," Raiser said. "And a legitimate hunter would never intentionally target those area of a deer to take the animal. Those are not areas of the animal that are commonly targeted."

The deer appeared to be in stable condition.

"Considering the situation, they’re still able to get around and survive at this point," Raiser said. "How long that will last, I wouldn’t be able to speculate."